Driving and steering device for vehicles.



APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 30, 1908.

Patented Apr. 11, 1911.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

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DRIVING AND STEERING DEVICE FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30, 1908.

Patented Apr. 11, 1911.

2 SHEET S-SHEET 2.

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DRIVING AND STEERING DEVICE FOR VEHICLES.

989 Ian-11 Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr. 11, 1911.

. Application filed June 30,1908. Serial No. 441,053.

To all whom it may concern. I

Be it known that I, EDWARD A. GOTTERBA, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Bisbee, in the county of Cochise and Territory ofArizona, have invented a new and Improved Driving and Steering Devicefor Vehicles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved driving andsteering device for automobiles, marine vessels and other vehicles,'andarranged to permit driving the vehicle or propeller wheel or turning thesame-into any angular position for steering purposes, the device beingsimple and durable in construction, easilvmanipulated, and arranged toeffectively transmit the power and to reduce the friction to a minimum.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations ofthe same, which will be more fully described hereinafter and thenpointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in whichsimilar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all theviews.

Figure 1 is a central longitudinal sect-ion of the improvement asapplied to the front axle of an automobile; Fig. 2 is a sectional planview of the same; Fig. 3 is a cross section of the same on the'line 33of Fig. 1;

and Fig. t is a reduced plan View of the improvement as applied to amarine vessel, the hull of the latter being shown in section.

The shaft or axle A of the vehicle is driven from a motor in anysuitable manner, and each end of the shaft or axle A is connected. by aball and socket joint with the vehicle or'propeller Wheel B to be drivenand to be turned in a horizontal plane for asteering purposes.

' As shownin. the drawings, the wheel B j is provided with a two-parthub B, B carthe spokes B secured in place by bolts C, which also fastenthe two parts B, B of the hub together. Dowel pins C also connect thehub parts B and B with each "other, as indicated in Fig. 1. In the hubparts B, B is i'fo rnieda socket B into which fits the ball A integralwith the corresponding end of the shaft A, and the said ball A isprovided on its peripheral face with seats A. for ball keys D extend nginto elongated slots B Fo med transversely in the wall of the socket B,as plainly shown in Fig. 2. Now when the shaft A is turned the balls Dare carried alongand thus rotate the wheel B.

A lubricant is supplied to the ball and socket joint from a well 13formed in the outer hub part B and closed at the topand bottom bysuitable screw plugs E, as indicated in Fig. 2.

In order to turn the wheel B in a hori zontal plane for steeringpurposes, the following arrangement is made: On the shaft or axle A isfitted a sleeve F provided at its outer end with a ball race F forbearing balls G traveling on the shaft or axle A at the junction of thelatter with its terminal ball A. The sleeve F is provided on top with asaddle F for the vehicle springs to rest on, and the sleeve F betweenthe saddle F and the ball race F is provided on the top and bottom withflat surfaces F fitting onto bearings H held in the top and bottom of asteering and guiding head I, provided at its inner end with a flange Iabutting against the outer face of the hub part B of the wheel B." Aretaining ring J is fastened by the bolts G to the hub part B and thesaid retaining ring J has an offset portion extending over the flange Ito hold the latter in place and to allow the wheel B to turn on theflange, suitable ball bearings J being interposed between the annularedge of the flange I and the retaining ring J, as plainly indicated'inFig. 1.

As shown in the drawing the flange I is provided with a peripheralgroove and the retaining ring J at its junction with the ofiset portionhas a corresponding groove, the ball bearings J being arranged in thesaid grooves.

To the inner end of the head I is secured a bar L connected with thesteering device N (see Figs. 1, 2 andffl) or N, as shown in Fig. 4, toallow the operator in charge of the vehicle to turn the head I and withit the wheel B in a horizontal plane with a view to steel. the vehicleto the right or left according to the direction in which the head I isturned. It is understood that the elongated opening in the head Ipermits turning the head I and the wheel B to a desired degree withoutinterfering with the shaft A and its sleeve F as the latter slides onthe bearings II.

In order to close the opemng to the head I, with a. view to exclude dustand other sh'ields O are provided attached to the sleeve F, and normallyproject beyond the sides of the head I, so that when the latter isturned, the opening leading thereto is closed at all times, and hencedust and the like cannot pass into the head and to the ball and socketjoint. As shown in Fig. 4:, the shields 0 also close the opening I inthe stern of the-hull P of the vessel on which the improvement is used,for propelling and steering the vessel, by rotating the propeller wheelB and by turning the same to one side'or the other.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby'Let-ters Patent: j j

. 1. A propelling and steering device, comprising a driven shaft havinga spherical terminal, a heel having atwo-part hub formed with/ a socketin which vthe said sphericalterminal is journaled, a ball key seated onthe said shaft terminal and engaging an elongated groove in the saidhub, a steering and guiding of the operator, and having a flangeengaging the inner face of the hub, a retaining ring engaging the innerface of the hub and having a portion extending over the said flange, andbolts extending through the re taining ring and the parts of'said hub.

2. A propelling and steering device for vehicles, comprising a wheelprovided with a two-part l1ub,'spokes carried by said hub, a drivenshaft, a ball and socket joint connection between the hub of the saidwheel and the said shaft, a ball key seated in a recess in the ball" ofthe said ball and socket joint connection and in an elongated groove inthe wall of the socket of the said ball and socket joint connection, thesaid groove extending in a plane passing through the axis of the wheeland shaft, a steering and guiding head having a flange engaging theinner face of the hub, a retaining ring extending over the said flange,and bolts for fastening the two parts of the hub together, the saidbolts also securing the said spokes and the said retaining ring inposition.

3. A propelling and steering device comprising a driven shaft having aspherical terminal, a wheel having a two-part hub consisting of an innerand an outer member,

, the hub being formed with a socket in which the said sphericalterminal is journaled, a ball key seated on the said shaft terminal andengaging an elongated groove in the said hub, a steering and guidinghead under the control of the operator and having a flange engaging theinner face of the inner member of the hub, a retaining ring extendheadunder the control ing over the said flange, bolts for securing the twoparts of the hub together, the said bolts extending through theretaining ring and securing the same \to the hub, a sleeve on the shaftand fitting the top and bottom walls of the saidsteering'and guidinghead, the said sleeve being provided at its outer end with a ball race,bearing balls in said race' and traveling on the said shaft at thejunction of the latter with its spherical terminal, and ball bearingsbetween the edge of the flange of said steering and guiding head and thesaid retaining ring.

4. A propelling and steering device com-'- prising a driven shaft havinga spherical terminal, a wheel having a two-part hub formed with a socketin which the said spherical terminal is journaled, spokes car-' ried bysaid hub, a steering and guiding head having a flange engaging the innerface of the hub, a retalning ring engaging the said flange, and boltsextending through the retaining ring the two-parts of the hub and thesaid spokes.

5. A propelling and steering device, comprising a driven shaft, having aspherical terminal, a wheel having a two part hub formed with a socketin which the said spherical. terminal is journaled, ball. keys seated onthe said shaft terminal and engaging elongated grooves in the hub, asteer ing and guiding head under the control of the operator and havinga flange at its outer end engaging the inner face of the hub, a reinnerface of the hub and extending over the taining ring engaging the innerface of the hub and having a ortion extending over the flange of thesteering and guiding head and engaging the. inner face thereof, boltsextending through the retaining ring and the two parts of the hub andsecuring said parts together,'ball bearings interposed between theannular edge of said flange and the retaining ring, a sleeve on theshaft provided on the top and bottom with flatsurfaces fitting the topand bottom walls of the steering and guiding head, the said sleeve beingprovided-at its outer end with a ball race,

bearing balls in said race and traveling on the said shaft at thejunction of the latter with its spherical terminal, and means'carried bythe sleeve for closing the opening-in the steering and guiding head.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWARD ANTHONY GOTTERBA.

\Vitnesses v lva E. Suusrrnn, Momma A. STANFORD.

